Voting machine



March 1l, 1941. A. N, GUSTAVSON 2,234,632

VOTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1939 Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VOTING MACHINE Application February 4, 1939, Serial No. 254,654

Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in voting machines and particularly to a mechanism for controlling use o party levers and candidate indicators.

The present invention is adaptable for use with voting machines in election districts wherein the law requires a voter to indicate a straight ticket or party ballot prior to splitting his ballot by the selection and balloting for one or more candidates in any other party. The invention also serves to guard against damage to the interior somewhat delicate parts of a voting machine that might result from attempts to improperly actuate a party lever. This is accomplished by providing a detinite tra'ning point that includes structure suiiiciently rugged to withstand almost any abuses a voter may attempt in the manipulation of party levers or candidate indicators.

In the present disclosure of the invention a mechanism is provided in a voting machine that is connected with each party row of candidate indicators. rEhe mechanism is actuated by manipulation of any one party lever of the voting machine to prevent manipulation of any other party lever. The mechanism is released and reset when a voter, having completed balloting, opens the curtain closure of the machine by moving a suitable lever.

The above and other ladvantages of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated from a consideration of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing; and in which Figure i is a fragmentary front elevation of a voting machine illustrating two party levers and a few of the candidate indicators of these parties;

Figure 2 is a rear View of a portion of the interior of a voting machine showing the connection of party levers with candidate indicators and with the mechanism forming the subject matter of the invention;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the structure of Figure 2, being taken substantially n as indicated at 3 3 of that ligure; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the position of certain of the parts following manipulation of a party lever.

Reference is had to the drawing wherein a portion of the front or" a voting machine is illustrated and generally referred to by the reference numeral iii. The front of the voting machine includes a number of horizontal rows li of candidate indicators l2. t one end of each candida-te row l i is a party lever I3 that is pivotally mounted exteriorly of the machine on a suitable bracket (Cl. 23S-54) I4. The lever I3 is provided with suitable spring means that serves to yieldingly maintain it in the position shown in Figures l and 3 of the drawing. A projection I6, adjacent the pivoted end of the lever and engageable with the bracket I4, serves to limit movement of said lever in one direction. A nnger I1, at the pivoted end of the lever, projects through a slot-like opening I8 in the front wall I9 of the voting machine and lies within a slot 2i of a party or straight ticket bar 22.

The bar 22 is provided with a number of laterally directed pins 23 and 24. These pins project into and secure a cover plate 25 in spaced relationship to the bar 22. Further pins 21 are secured to the bar 22 and cover 26 and bridge the space or passage 28 therebetween. Mounted in this passage is a primary bar 29 that is formed with slots 3l through which pins 21 project and by means of which limited motion relative to the bar 22 is made possible. The bar 29 is formed with teeth 32.

One end of the straight ticket bar 22 terminates in a ange 33. Adjacent this flange is a bell crank 34 carried by a pivot pin 35. An arm 31 of the bell crank 34 contacts the flange 33 of bar 22. A somewhat longer arm 38 of this bell crank engages a pin 39 that projects laterally from a vertically disposed member 4I. The member 4I is permitted limited vertical movement by reason of the provision of slots 42 and pins 43, the pins being secured to a fixed portion of the voting machine, such, for example, as the wall I9. A recess 44 is made in one vertical edge of the member 4I. A pawl 45 is carried by an off-center pivot 41. The lower end 48 of the pawl is formed with a projection 49 that, under certain circumstances of operation of the mechanism, projects into the recess 44. Above the pivot pin 41, the pawl 46 is formed with a generally rectangular slot 5i, the upper wall of which is cut away to provide a further connecting slot 52. The upper end 53 of the pawl is formed with a cam-like surface 54, the purpose of which will be understood from a description of the operation of the mechamsm.

Adjacent the corresponding end of each primary bar 29 is a bell crank 56 carried by a pin 51. This bell crank includes an arm 58 that is engaged by the end of the primary bar 29. A further arm 59 is provided with a pin 6I that projects into a slot 62 in a vertical bar 63. The bar 63 is formed with a pin 64 that projects through a slot 66 in one end of a link 61. The link 61 is centrally pivoted on a pin 63 and serves to sustain the bar 63 in operative position. The other end of the link 6l is provided with a laterally directed rectangular pin 69 that projects into the slot 5I of the pawl 46.

The candidate indicators I2 are conventional, being somewhat like those shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 146,642, now Patent 2,189,951, dated February 13, 1940, and include a rotatable portion Il that projects through the wall I9 of the machine and to which is keyed a member 'I2 that includes a downwardly directed lug 13 lying adjacent the tooth 32 of the primary bar 29. The laterally directed portion of the member 'I2 is connected with parts of the machine not involved in the present invention and is, therefore, neither shown nor described in detail.

Having described the structural features of the invention, the operation thereof in a voting machine is as follows: Figure 2 of the drawing illustrates the mechanism in inoperative position. It will be noted that a vertically disposed bar 'I4 is located adjacent the pawl 46 and that this bar includes a lug I6 that contacts the cam-like surface 54 of the pawl. Bar i4 is a standard element of a voting machine and is vertically movable by manipulation oi a curtain opening and closing lever. With the parts in the position shown in Figure 2, the curtain is open and a voter may enter the booth. When 4a voter moves the lever to close the curtains and unlock the machine, bar 'i4 moves upwardly, withdrawing lug 'I6 from contact with pawl 46. No movement of the pawl 46 takes place at this time because of engagement oi pin 69 with slot 52. The voter may now select and actuate the desired party lever I3. Pivotal movement of the lever I 3 causes finger Il to move the straight ticket bar 22 horizontally to the right, as viewed in Figures 2 and 4. Since this bar supports a primary bar 29, said primary bar will also be horizontally moved.

Bar 22 causes bell crank 34 to pivot about pin 36 and move the vertically disposed member 4l upwardly. Simultaneously with this movement bell crank 56 has raised bar 53, causing link 6l to pivot about pin 68 and remove the rectangular pin 69 from the upper slot 52 of the pawl 46. Due to the unbalanced mounting of pawl 46, the upper end will swing outwardly. However, full movement or" the pawl'is not possible until the vertical member 4I returns to its original position and slot 44 and projection 49 register (see Figure 4). It will be understood that a suitable spring is provided for each party lever I3 so that after the voter has moved the lever to vote a straight ticket, upon release, the lever will return to inoperative position. Bar 22, bell crank 34 and member 4I will also be returned. No particular description is deemed necessary concerning movement of candidate indicators I2 to voting position other than to state that pins 24 contact and rotate lugs 3 for this purpose. The lugs 'i3 also constitute means by which the primary bar 29 is moved. The primary bar 29, however, (see Figure 4), is not returned to inoperative position with the return of the party lever i3 and, consequently, the bell crank 59, bar 63, and link 6l remain in the position shown in Figure 4.

All of the indicators i2, in a given party row, that are representative of listed candidates, have been moved into voting position. The voter now has the right to move one or more of the candidate indicators of the voted row into non-voting position and vote for other candidates for the same oiiices by individually moving the candidate indicators in any other party row. It will be noted that as long as the projection 49 of the pawl 46 is engaged with the vertically disposed member 4I, said member may not be moved by the bell crank 34 and straight ticket bar 22 in any other party row. Thus, a voter must select and vote a straight ticket prior to splitting his ballot by selecting and balloting for one or more candidates in any other party.

When balloting has been completed, a voter moves the conventional lever to open the curtains. This movement causes bar 14 to move downwardly, bringing lug 'I6 into contact with the cam-like surface 54 of the pawl 46, swinging said pawl inwardly to the inoperative position of Figure 2.

Although applicant has shown and described only one modication of a mechanism in a voting machine that requires a voter to cast a straight party 'ballot prior to splitting his ballot, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that this structure is adaptable for control of elements in a voting machine other than party levers and, therefore, applicant does not intend to be limited in his invention other than as set forth and defined in the hereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

1. In a Voting machine having levers connected by straight ticket bars with party rows oi candidate indicators, a mechanism for controlling operation of `said levers comprising a reciprocable member, means operatively connecting each of said levers with said member, said means reciprocating said member upon movement of any of said levers, a pivotal member latchably engageable with said member, but normally held out of engagement therewith, and further means operable by any o-ne of said levers to release said pivotal member for engagement with said member whereby to prevent repeated reciprocation of said member.

2. In a voting machine having levers connected by bars operable to move party rows of candidate indicators for straight ticket voting, a mechanism for controlling the operation of said levers comprising a vertically disposed reciprocable member, bell cranks for transmitting movement of any one of said bars to said vertically disposed member, a pivotal member latchably engageable with said member, means operably connecting said pivotal member with said levers, said pivotal member being movable to engage and secure said vertically disposed member against reciprocation following operation of any one of said levers in casting a straight ticket vote.

3. In a voting machine having levers connected by straight ticket bars with party rows of candidate indicators, a mechanism for controlling operation of said levers comprising a reciprocable member, bell cranks for transmitting movement of any of said ticket bars to said reciprocable member, a reciprocable bar, a pivotal member latchably engageable with said member, but normally held out of engagement therewith, means connecting said reciprocable bar with said pivotal member, said reciprocable bar being operable upon movement of any one of said levers to release said pivotal member for engagement with and to secure said reciprocable member against further reciprocation.

4. In a voting machine having levers connected by horizontally arranged straight ticket barsI with party rows of candidate indicators, a mechanism for controlling operation of said levers comprising a vertically reciprocable member, bell cranks for transmitting movement of any of said straight ticket bars to said vertically reciprocable member, a pivotal member movable to engage and secure said vertically reciprocable member against movement, means normally securing said pivotal member in disengaged position with respect to said reciprocable member, said means being operatively connected with each of said bars, any one of said levers being operable to adjust said means and release said pivotal member for engagement With said reciprocable member.

5. In a voting machine having levers connected by bars with party roWs of candidate indicators, a mechanism for controlling operation of said levers comprising a reciprocable member, bell cranks operatively connected With and adapted to transmit movement of any of said bars to said member, releasable latch means operable to secure said member in one reciprocated position, means operatively connecting each of said bars with said latch means, said latch means being releasable by movement of any one of said bars for engagement with said member, whereby to secure said member against repeated movement through said bell cranks by another of said bars. 

